{"id":31323,"date":"2017-03-23T10:26:18","date_gmt":"2017-03-23T14:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=31323"},"modified":"2017-03-23T17:22:30","modified_gmt":"2017-03-23T21:22:30","slug":"chris-burkard-on-the-power-of-sharing-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/chris-burkard-on-the-power-of-sharing-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Burkard on the Power of Sharing Experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"

In order to get an interview with Chris Burkard, I had to wake up at 5:30 am on a cold and brisk California morning and climb up a mountain at sunrise. \u00a0The 31-year-old surf and travel photographer has made a name for himself with his wanderlust inspired photos shot in remote (and often very cold) locations all over the world. With over 2 million followers on Instagram<\/a>, and over 27 trips to Iceland logged, Burkard is part explorer, part adventurer, and most importantly, \u00a0a visual storyteller.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2012, CHRIS BURKARD PHOTOGRAPHY, SURFING, RUSSIA, KAMCHATKA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After weeks of trying to secure a time and a place for an interview with one of the most well-traveled photographers in the world, there I was, standing over one of the most beautiful and breathtaking landscapes I\u2019ve ever seen, with Burkard…and about 50 other photographers. \u00a0I was part of a group of photographers, filmmakers, and creatives who made the trek to take part in a sunrise photo walk in Lake Arrowhead, California. The walk was one of the many scheduled events with celebrated photographers during the annual creative workshop called <\/span>Yeah Field Trip<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So many times I had perused the Pismo Beach-based photographer\u2019s ethereal, deeply saturated captures of natural landscapes on his Instagram feed and mused at how he was able to be at just the right time and just the right place to capture the light, depth or angle of his subjects so perfectly. But the secret turned out not to be so mysterious…you just have to be willing to wake up before everyone else and trek a little.<\/span><\/p>\n

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CHRIS BURKARD 2014 TRAVEL ALBERTA TOURISM SUMMER \/ FALL SHOOT CANADA CHRISTIAN FERNANDEZ, JEFFREY SPACKMAN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Burkard will tell you time and time again in many of his workshops that the best photographs happen at sunrise and sunset. \u00a0But they won\u2019t just give themselves to you if you stand there with your camera at eye level. You have to be willing to work a little, either get low in the ground, find a higher angle, or…climb to the top of the highest peak. During the photo walk, he explained that he always surveys an area before taking a single frame, walking around until he finds the highest and lowest angles and then picking the best spot to shoot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Something about that moment on the hilltop resonated with me, captured my eye, and <\/span>the photograph<\/span><\/a> I ended up taking practically made itself. While my experience was a rare one for me, it seems that Burkard\u2019s photography is full of these magical moments connected to nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2013, CHRIS BURKARD, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALEUTIANS, JOSH MULCOY, ALEX GRAY, PETE DEVRIES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Part of why his photos are so successful is because he\u2019s sharing that experience, that communion with nature with his viewer: \u201cRegardless of any commercial work I do or editorial work I do,” says Burkard, \u00a0\u201cwhat I really do is share experiences. And in a way that allows the customer, consumer, client, friend, family member, whoever, to really feel like they are there. And to be there with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Except today I was, literally, with Burkard – and a lot of other artists who felt inspired by his work. \u00a0This is part of the magic of Yeah Field Trips, getting to spend time interacting with other artists whose work you might only know from a distance through social media.<\/p>\n

As the group started to make their way down the mountain, and we made our way back to some warm coffee in the main tent of the campground, I finally had a chance to invite Burkard to sit and chat.<\/p>\n

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PACIFIC NORTH WEST, FJALLRAVEN, CHRIS BURKARD, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During one of his presentations at Yeah Field Trip the night before, he expounded on this need to share a little bit more deeply, explaining that it started when he was very young. \u00a0\u201cA big part of the reason that I was so driven was because I knew that my mom had given us so much,\u201d said Burkard. \u201cShe had me when she was super young, and didn’t travel, so when I was going to these places, I wanted to bring back these stories for her. It was something I wanted to share with my family. People that weren’t going out and seeing these places,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Some of Burkard\u2019s most well-known work is of surfing, but not necessarily the warm and tropical kind. A surf adventure with Burkard usually entails subzero conditions, snow, and lots of flying, sailing, and\/or trekking through mountains. His latest film, \u201cUnder an Arctic Sky,\u201d is a forty minute documentary about six surfers on the hunt for the perfect wave in Iceland during a brutal winter storm. The film documents their attempt, despite constant darkness and the worst storm the country has seen in over 25 years, to surf under the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n

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Under An Arctic Sky - Official Trailer #1<\/div><\/div>
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